Paul Tyerman

Howdy Viewers,

I live and garden on a small corner block in a suburb of Canberra, the Capital of Australia. We are approximately equivalent to USDA Zone 8/9, but that is pretty broad. Our temperature extremes are down to maybe -9'C each winter, and up to around the 40'C mark during summer. The majority of our rain is in the cooler months but the last couple of years (2001-2003) we have had pretty severe drought over most of Eastern Australia which has resulted in far less than average rainfall and now (mid 2003) gradually increasing water restrictions. In normal conditions we have a hot and dry summer, similar to many of the winter rainfall areas in South Africa and hence a lot of the SA bulbs grow well for us here, although our frosts can cause problems for some genera. On rare occasions we get snow, but that is by no means a regular event (it is cold enough anyway thank you very much <grin>).

Despite these restrictions I manage to grow a wide variety of genera (too many, the truth be known) including Galanthus, Erythronium, Fritillaria, Cyclamen, Crocus, Oxalis, Trillium, Cyrtanthus, Lilium, hellebores, Aroids, irises plus just about anything else that doesn't move!!!!! I grow a lot of the less common plants in pots, but I am gradually introducing interesting varieties into the garden where stock, conditions and space (this is a BIG limiting factor unfortunately) allow it.

I am definitely a gardening addict, no question of that, but thankfully my wife Yvonne and our two little dogs (Elfinraer and Riley) can co-exist with the addiction. I am eternally grateful to Yvonne for allowing me my madness.